Want to know what life is like working as an Actor / Facilitator at Loudmouth?

We are currently recrutiting for Actor / Facilitators to play a range of male roles (find out more here) but what does an Actor / Facilitator actually do?

It’s just acting and er…facilitating, right?

Well, there is plenty of both but there is a lot more to the job than that. Loudmouth Actor / Facilitators need to be organised, punctual, great communicators and creative problem solvers. The job can be hard work and full of challenges as well as extremely rewarding for those who want to make a difference and help people.

Have you ever thought about applying to work for Loudmouth as an Actor / Facilitator? Ever wondered what the job would actually be like? Well, this blog might be for you and help you understand a bit more about what being a Loudmouth Actor / Facilitator is all about!

Variety

Every day is different. An Actor / Facilitator could work with 30 pupils in a primary school in the morning and then drive to a secondary school to perform to 300 students in the afternoon. One day they could run a performance and workshop with a class size group and the next, perform a play to a whole year group before running a series of short workshops. Actor / Facilitators work in schools all over the UK and sometimes overseas (well, one of our teams went to Paris recently….so glamorous!). Some weeks they might work in a series of schools in the Midlands and go home at the end of the day. Other weeks they might be touring around London all week and stay in a hotel the company has provided. Actor / Facilitators work in a mix of different settings including primary and secondary schools, colleges, special educational needs (SEN) schools or pupil referral units (PRUs). No two days are the same in the life of an Actor / Facilitator.

Personal Development

Being an Actor / Facilitator is much more than just an acting gig. They do get to act, of course. In fact they will act most days and as one of the lead characters in some meaty dramas (something most actors don’t get to do, especially early in their careers). Our Actor / Facilitators not only get to stretch themselves as actors but also learn how to improvise believably in character during hotseats to engage young people in discussion based workshops. They are given time to learn about the issues we cover and really develop their own confidence and skills as a performer and educator. They learn classroom management skills, how to handle safeguarding concerns and disclosures and learn how to deliver in a range of different settings. This is a great job for anyone who loves learning and is curious about social issues and change. We have been delivering theatre in education work for almost 30 years and we invest in the training and support of all our Actor / Facilitators to fine tune their skills and help them grow as professionals and people.

Office Days

Actor / Facilitators don’t deliver sessions every single day. We schedule regular office days to give teams a break from touring and delivery. This allows staff to rest their voices and bodies and to provide opportunities for us to fine tune their skills and delivery. These office days can be used to go over any scenes that need a bit of refreshing or for training on more advanced skills. It may involve starting work on learning a new programme or for teams to do checks on their van or equipment. They also use these days to support our evaluation of tours. We deliver a lot of tours and these usually involve us preparing a final evaluation report. Actor / Facilitators play a key role in this as they hand out and collect the evaluation forms in schools and support in getting these inputted onto our system so we can analyse the data for the report. This is a great chance for Actor / Facilitators to see for themselves the impact their work is having. We try to keep these days varied but whatever the tasks on these days, Actor / Facilitators need to embrace being part of the team and be able to work flexibly on office days, following instructions / policies and meeting deadlines.

Support and Teamwork

Loudmouth is a close company with regular times when we all get together in and out of work. Each Actor / Facilitator goes through a comprehensive training programme when they start. They shadow our existing teams and learn the Loudmouth approach and core skills they need to be able to deliver our sessions. They have a line manager who looks after their development and HR and they are trained by and rehearse with the company Directors and managers. We have a buddy system and so Actor / Facilitators always have someone that they can go to if they want an informal chat or advice. There is a whole load of support options available for Actor / Facilitators at Loudmouth including regular wellbeing checks and catch ups.

However….by the nature of the work, Actor / Facilitators spend a lot of their time travelling to and working in schools and so spend a lot of their time working away from our base. Their line manager and the office team are always on hand but a lot of the time Actor / Facilitators work independently and put their training into practice. Actor / Facilitators work in teams of two. The teams need to work really closely together. They need to forge a great working relationship and share all aspects of the work to ensure everything goes smoothly on the day. This means they need to have great communication with the office, check their e mails and messages regularly and meet deadlines even when working remotely.

Touring

We are based in lovely Birmingham, however we deliver sessions across the UK (yes…and occasionally to Paris). This is a touring job and so Loudmouth Actor / Facilitators need to be able to work away from home when needed. This is a part of the job that has increased for us in recent years and we run training with all new staff on how to make the most of their touring weeks. We try and have multiple teams staying away at the same time where we can so that there is that support and companionship so that they can meet up in the evenings. Touring can be good fun and give people a chance to see parts of the country they have never been to before and work with young people from a range of backgrounds. Teams aren’t away every week and we share the touring out but touring away is a standard aspect of the Actor / Facilitator’s role.

Early Starts, Punctuality and Organisation

Actor / Facilitators have to be super reliable, organised and consistent. All of our Actor / Facilitators are excellent performers and workshop leaders but when we recruit we are looking for other qualities too. It is almost more important to us to know that we can rely on our staff to be where they need to be and to consistently deliver the sessions to the quality our schools expect. Punctuality is vital. Schools will have had to plan a lot around us and may have booked a year ahead. If we aren’t there on time to set up and start then the whole day may not work and we will damage our relationship with the school. This is basically a long winded way to say, there are a lot of early starts! There is no getting round that and a big part of the job. We need to arrive at schools around 8:15 and some venues may be 1 or 2 hours drive away so Actor / Facilitators need to learn to love…well, at least make peace with, early mornings! The exact meeting points and pick up times will vary from day to day and so teams need to be organised and communicate well. When we recruit, we favour candidates who can drive. This helps to keep things equal in the team and so that they can share the driving or use their own vehicle to get to a meeting point. Communication and organisation are key. Actor / Facilitators make sure that they have read through all of the booking information we have given them from parking instructions to which organisations they need to signpost to. Being organised allows them to really focus on enjoying the sessions and helping students to get the most out of our visit.

Making a Difference

Okay, so we have got the early mornings out of the way…you still with us? Good. Yes, the job can be tiring but it is so worth it when we see the difference the work can make. One of the most valuable elements of the Actor / Facilitator role is seeing the impact of the work. We work with children and young people on a range of relationships, sexual health and health education (RSHE) issues. We work with the statutory RSHE guidance to help children and young people learn about potentially sensitive issues and know where to get help or support if they need it. Our Actor / Facilitators talk of the satisfaction in doing a job that really makes a difference. Each day they can see the shift in knowledge and confidence of students from the start to the end of their sessions. The job allows Actor / Facilitators to educate and engage students about important topics and ensure that those who need support or are in difficult situations can get the help they need.

Be a Part of Something

We believe that all children and young people have a right to healthy, happy and safe lives. We believe that they should have access to accurate information delivered in an accessible, respectful and non-judgemental way. Over the last 30 years we have worked with well over 1 million children and young people. We have a great kind and supportive team and excellent training and support. If the blog above sounds like something that you would like to do then get in touch and keep an eye out or any recruitment ads on our website.

If this all sounds like something you are interested in then we are currently looking for an Actor / facilitator to play a range of male roles. You can apply here.